Rugby World Cup Teams – Group D

The Rugby World Cup 2011 starts from September 9 to October 23, 2011. The following article is a summary of the teams that will participate in group D.

South Africa- Springboks

The South African rugby team is the current holder of the Rugby World Cup, beating England 15 -6 to lift the Webb Ellis Cup by a record equivalent to the second time in 2007. Since the last World Cup, the results The Springboks range from all-time highs to some indifferent results, yet they remain one of the best teams on the planet. The South African team is known for aggressively scrumming with a high level of technical excellence, a ball-in-hand style that often works very well against opponents. Expect a traditional high pressure, wear and tear game plan at the 2011 World Cup; This approach is likely to see the Springboks reach the later stages of the competition, and if so, 2007 could see a successful defense from Web Ellis. Springboks possess quality in depth and are renowned for being extremely difficult to break for 80 minutes, they have also been drawn in a favorable group consisting of teams that shouldn’t be a big deal; Complacency will be South Africa’s biggest problem, but once you get out of the group stage, expect a change to the final in Auckland. Star Player: Bryan Habana, Head Coach: Peter de Villiers

Fiji – Las Palmas

Fiji is one of the few countries where rugby is the national sport, as a team they are very strong and definitely the strongest in the Oceania region. The 2007 World Cup was a great success for the Fijians, who were eliminated in the quarter-finals by future winners South Africa, before this they beat Wales in the second round 38-31; This placed Fiji among the top 8 teams in world rugby, which is no small feat for this Pacific island. Fiji’s style is very improvised and proves to be very entertaining, his ball handling is generally excellent and at times he is more like basketball. However, Fiji’s fluid style exposes a defensive fragility that the best teams take advantage of, but in their day the Palms are a handful for any team. Group D launches the delicious replay of the 2007 match against Wales, described by some as one of the best matches ever. The winner of this match is highly likely to advance to the next round behind South Africa, but the match against neighboring Samoa will be a tough one and definitely one to watch. Star Player: Sisaro Koyamaibole, Head Coach: Sam Domoni

Samoa- Manu Samoa

Rugby was introduced to Samoa in the early 1920s; the first international match was played as Western Samoa against Fiji in August 1924. Samoa did not compete in the first World Cup, but has qualified for every tournament since. Samoa in the early years of the World Cup was a stranger, this worked exceptionally well for the team and helped them advance to the quarterfinals in the first three tournaments they participated in; since these first highs, Samoa has not been able to get out of the group stage. There are strong ties between Samoa and New Zealand that even share a Haka-like pre-match challenge called Siva Tau. Many players change nationality between the two nations, often Samoan players try to make the dream of playing for the All Blacks come true. Manu Samoa is a naturally strong physical side, who will go head-to-head with any opponent. Group D represents a great opportunity for the team to get out of the group, the games against Wales and Fiji are vital for this; expect a great match when these teams meet each other. Star Player: Alesana Tuilagi, Head Coach: Fuimaono Tafua

Namibia- Welwitschias

Namibia has played international rugby since the early 1900s; They are the second best team in Africa and the most likely candidate for the first team to join the second tier of world rugby. Namibia has competed in every World Cup since 1999, but has yet to win a match, with a small player base and without strong or frequent competition, the team has deteriorated in recent years. Namibia’s chance at the 2011 World Cup is that it will struggle again. A potential result, if possible, will come against Samoa or Fiji, but on paper the wooden spoon of Group D calls out to the Welwitschia. There have been some excellent internationals outside of Namibia; however, these players often choose to play for South Africa, a country with strong ties to Namibia as past rulers. The bright hope for Namibia was to surprisingly win the IRB Nations Cup in 2010, showing that their progress at the international level is on the rise. Star Player: Jacques Burger, Head Coach: Johan Diergaardt

Wales- Dragons

Wales have competed in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987; the first is still the best. At the 1987 World Cup, Wales finished third in the tournament, beating Australia 22-21 in a classic match, as by this time the Welsh have oscillated between the quarter-finals and have not progressed at all from the group stage. . Putting on the Wales rugby jersey is every Welshman’s dream; rooted in the very fabric of the people of the valleys. Wales will view Group D with optimism, in their day Wales will play a fluid, entertaining and often spectacular mix of rugby that creates fans around the world. South Africa will be very difficult for Wales, having played each other 25 times and only winning once against the Springboks, the odds are firmly against them. Samoa, Fiji and Namibia should be more of a competition; The maximum points of these three games will see the Welsh in the next round, expect a spectacular game when the opponents are the Palms of Fiji. Since the last World Cup in Wales secured a Grand Slam victory in the Six Nations in 2008, but the years since then have seen a decline in performances and results, it will be interesting to see what the Welsh team performs in. New Zealand 2011. Star Player: Stephen Jones, Head Coach: Warren Gatland

Group D’s first match is on September 10, 2011 3:30 PM

Fiji v Namibia – Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua